I found this outstanding article on www.picturecorrect.com I came across from photographer Paul Brown. Make sure you checkout the video at the end hilarious.

Photo captured by Tatiana Garanina (Click Image to See More From Tatiana Garanina)

Before I go into what the requirements are on the wedding day from a second photographer, it would be a good idea to think about what should be considered before the day.

First things first, you may be someone who is trying to get work as a second photographer to get started in the industry before launching into a wedding as a lead photographer.

This can often be difficult so be prepared to travel to an area outside what would be considered your territory. Photographers are business people and are always wary of training a competitor, but they may also be looking for a regular second who they can trust and work with.

Find out about the principal photographer’s style. The main photographer will have been booked based on things such as style of images, personality and customer service. So it would be sensible to find out a bit about the lead. Find out their dress code and be respectful of it even if it is not your normal dress code. Prepare your equipment, make sure it is clean, batteries charged, cards formatted if using your own and find out if the principal photographer requires your cameras time to be synchronized.

So on the day, make sure you are very punctual, fairly obvious really, but if it is somewhere you haven’t been before do a bit of preparation to know the area. Google street mapping is often a useful tool for research and during my time as a wedding photographer in Lancashire, it has proven to be invaluable. Then comes the time meeting the wedding party for the first time. Be confident, polite and respectful to everyone, including other vendors that are part of the day. You may be thinking this is all obvious, but little things can often be forgotten when nerves and pressure kick in.

Now we come to the working side of the day and I will break these down to bullet points. There may be other things that can be added to the list, but these are the ones that I consider important.

Be an assistant to the main photographer. Running errands, gathering guests for groups, moving kit around, watching kit, hold reflectors, flashes, video lights and generally any task that is asked of you.

Get the shots you are asked to get and inform the lead when you have them.

Take the camera away from your eyes and look around for the reportage shots, kids playing, different angles that can make a shot look natural and details that the main photographer may not see.

Watch for things that the main photographer may miss, background distractions is one example.

Get detail shots that may be of use for album design as background images.

“Karina & Roman” captured by Elena Zotova (Click Image to See More From Elena Zotova)

Be prepared to take the lead in the event of main photographer having to break away. This may be the scary part, but act with confidence and it will be fine.

Be aware of what the main photographers plans are, remind him/her if you think something has been missed. It will be appreciated that you are showing you are thinking about what is happening.

Finally for the ‘to do’s, think ahead. If you think the need for a reflector is coming, get it to hand, if you know the need for a tripod is coming, get it and extend the legs in preparation, but most importantly, learn something every time and enjoy it. You will be part of a team so make sure you work that way.

If you have your own photography business, don’t give out your cards or try and drum up your own business. They are not your clients and that is to be respected at all times.

Do not shoot like the paparazzi unless you are specifically told to. The main photographer would rather a smaller set of well executed, high quality shots than a thousand shots taken in the hope of 20% being successful.

Do not just shoot over the shoulder of the main photographer to get some portfolio shots unless permission has been gained. It can be very off putting if it hasn’t been discussed. If it has been agreed in advance, then the main photographer will have just to inform clients that some training is taking place.

Do not publish images on blogs etc without permission from the main photographer. If permission is given, credit the main photographer. The copyright remains with the photographer/business that you are working for.

Do not chew gum, smoke, drink alcohol, swear etc if that is what is requested by the main photographer.

“Olga” captured by Olesia Kliots (Click Image to See More From Olesia Kliots)

So these are just a few of the basic things to be considered and this list can be added to. So hopefully this may be of help to some and that it will help you to be an asset if you are a second shooter at any time.

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A word of guidance…Their website is a little obnoxious to navigate – you’ll see what I mean. But I have found them to have the best wedding photography training package. Their free eBook that comes with the newsletter is a little helpful, but the primary ebook package and all it’s extras are a lot more useful and actionable.

Learning about Exposure – The Exposure Triangle

Bryan Peterson has written a book titled Understanding Exposure which is a highly recommended read if you’re wanting to venture out of the Auto mode on your digital camera and experiment with it’s manual settings.

In it Bryan illustrates the three main elements that need to be considered when playing around with exposure by calling them ‘the exposure triangle’.

Each of the three aspects of the triangle relate to light and how it enters and interacts with the camera.

The three elements are:

It is at the intersection of these three elements that an image’s exposure is worked out.

Most importantly – a change in one of the elements will impact the others. This means that you can never really isolate just one of the elements alone but always need to have the others in the back of your mind.

Many people describe the relationship between ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed using different metaphors to help us get our heads around it. Let me share three. A quick word of warning first though – like most metaphors – these are far from perfect and are just for illustrative purposes:

Imagine your camera is like a window with shutters that open and close.

Aperture is the size of the window. If it’s bigger more light gets through and the room is brighter.

Shutter Speed is the amount of time that the shutters of the window are open. The longer you leave them open the more that comes in.

Now imagine that you’re inside the room and are wearing sunglasses (hopefully this isn’t too much of a stretch). Your eyes become desensitized to the light that comes in (it’s like a low ISO).

There are a number of ways of increasing the amount of light in the room (or at least how much it seems that there is. You could increase the time that the shutters are open (decrease shutter speed), you could increase the size of the window (increase aperture) or you could take off your sunglasses (make the ISO larger).

Another way that a friend recently shared with me is to think about digital camera exposure as being like getting a sun tan.

Now getting a suntan is something I always wanted growing up – but unfortunately being very fair skinned it was something that I never really achieved. All I did was get burnt when I went out into the sun. In a sense your skin type is like an ISO rating. Some people are more sensitive to the sun than others.

Shutter speed in this metaphor is like the length of time you spend out in the sun. The longer you spend in the sun the increased chances of you getting a tan (of course spending too long in the sun can mean being over exposed).

Aperture is like sunscreen which you apply to your skin. Sunscreen blocks the sun at different rates depending upon it’s strength. Apply a high strength sunscreen and you decrease the amount of sunlight that gets through – and as a result even a person with highly sensitive skin can spend more time in the sun (ie decrease the Aperture and you can slow down shutter speed and/or decrease ISO).

As I’ve said – neither metaphor is perfect but both illustrate the interconnectedness of shutter speed, aperture and ISO on your digital camera.

Update: A third metaphor that I’ve heard used is the Garden Hose (the width of the hose is aperture, the length that the hose is left on is shutter speed and the pressure of the water (the speed it gets through) is ISO.

Bringing It All Together

Mastering the art of exposure is something that takes a lot of practice. In many ways it’s a juggling act and even the most experienced photographers experiment and tweak their settings as they go. Keep in mind that changing each element not only impacts the exposure of the image but each one also has an impact upon other aspects of it (ie changing aperture changes depth of field, changing ISO changes the graininess of a shot and changing shutter speed impacts how motion is captured).

The great thing about digital cameras is that they are the ideal testing bed for learning about exposure. You can take as many shots as you like at no cost and they not only allow you to shoot in Auto mode and Manual mode – but also generally have semi-automatic modes like aperture priority and shutter priority modes which allow you to make decisions about one or two elements of the triangle and let the camera handle the other elements.

Nicole and I Wanted to get some pictures up of our new family actually the two children. Surprisingly they came out real nice I especially like how Isabella and Dominic’s pictures together we’re so easy to take. Its nice doing children photography and newborn photography and the kids are easy to get along with. The equipment I used was one off camera flash and a reflector to fill in the right side of the children’s faces. Because there was allot of ambient light. The flash really boosted Isabella’s eyes and softened her face. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and great new year. Check out our website Kevin and Nicole Photography

Among the many different photo shoots one can do, I’ve always considered newborn photography as one of the most challenging. Having great equipment and great technical know-how is never enough. For me, this is the genre of photography where the human touch is most important.

Here are a few simple tips to make the most out of a newborn session:

1. Get mommy and daddy onboard.

Have a plan, seek permission for everything that you want to do, and make sure the parents are onboard. Let them know if you wish to use flash or natural light, what areas in the house you are interested in shooting in, whether you need towels and blankets, and that these things might get soiled during the shoot. The more you engage them, the more keen they will be to help you out during the shoot. Ask if they are comfortable with nude baby shots, or if they wish to keep the baby dressed throughout the shoot. Asking and letting them know beforehand will make the shoot much more manageable once you’re there and ready to shoot.

2. Lots of patience and mood management.

While you have a plan, be ready to mix them around or chuck them out of the window if necessary. For these sessions, I will usually advise clients to book at least 2 hours of the photographer’s time. That way, there is ample time to settle baby down when s/he’s feeling agitated, to feed when hungry (and boy, these little munchters get hungry very frequently), and clean up when the little (expected) accidents happen. As a photographer, you need to manage the mood in your set, both that of the baby’s and the parents. A stiff shoot plan won’t help you if your subjects are not relaxed. Don’t forget to put yourself on your clients’ shoes and understand how they feel. From there, you can sort out what will help them calm down and enjoy the session with you.

3. Know their story.

For every stage of a baby’s life, they reach milestones, which are gems in their baby history. For newborns, the most unique bits for me are the tiny flakes on their skin, their newborn pimples, the wrinkles on their arms and legs, how small they are when you fold them into a fetal position, and their ability to sleep through anything. Read up on your baby age milestones and understand what are the important bits of their story. As they grow up, these things can be their propensity to put everything in their mouth, sitting on their own, belly crawls, crawling up on their hands and knees, the first teeth, first step, and so forth.

4. Growing.

These little ones are growing everyday. Highlight how tiny s/he is at this given point in time, and use stuff around the house as reference points on how much the little ones has grown. It can be something as straight forward as a measuring tape, or it can be something more playful like a teddy bear, a bowl, a basket, or daddy’s hands.

5. Focus on the relationships.

Everyone’s excited about the new baby! Other than shots of the whole family with baby, make sure to get a shot of baby with mommy, and a shot of baby with daddy. For bigger families, a shot of the elder sibling with the new baby is a classic heart-warmer, and is something that every parent finds precious. When you’re managing two little ones, there will be lots of patience required as usually, one will feel fussy while the other one feels cooperative. Make sure to engage the elder child and make them feel that this is just a game instead of a task. Shoot in burst mode, and wait for the perfect moment when they are connected.

6. Once you’ve covered the ‘organic’ shots, play around with the set, props and wardrobe.

Before the shoot, ask permission to use some props you’ve been itching to try out. It will be good to ask the mommy and daddy if there are sentimental items (i.e. gifts from grandparents or childhood stuff) that they’d wish to incorporate into the shoot. This will get the parents involved, make the shoot more meaningful for them and more fun for you.

I hope these help. And when all else fails, just remember to tap into your softer side and put yourself in your clients’ shoes. Newborn photography is a quiet celebration of human life and the ties that bind.

I’m so proud to announce the birth of our newborn son Dominic Jason-Joseph Bucchio. So as a treat Nicole and I decided to do some newborn photography for everyone to see. Newborn Photography is easy to do whenever your children is sleeping like Dominic was. Dominic is such a ham he was born on November, 18th, 2011. His weight was 7lbs. 8oz. length was 20 1/4 inches long and of course full of life. Part of being a Melbourne, Florida photographer and father is being able to photograph your children all the time. Nicole had to be induced a week early. If she went full term we could of had Dominic on thanksgiving. Nicole and I have alot to be thankful for this year. We moved to Melbourne, Florida, the Boston Bruins won the stanley cup, Nicole got a new car, we also got an awesome apartment, and finally a newborn baby Dominic. Please enjoy our bundle of joy and the photographs.

I’m very proud to announce that I’ve become an uncle for the second time. My sister Erica gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Elijah. So as a favor Nicole and I told Erica that we’d take some Newborn photographs of Elijah. The photo shoot went awesome Baby Elijah was very quiet and easy. Erica was really impressed with our previous newborn photography photos so she was enthusiastic. Nicole and I couldn’t believe how content Elijah was during the whole photo shoot. First, we got a few regular newborn photography poses out of the way. Secondly, we shot some different wide angles trying to use my creative side in newborn photography. Finally, we did a couple of photographs of Elijah in a cute hat that Erica wanted us to use. Here at Kevin and Nicole Photography we always want the subject to pop out and work around it by not using many distractions from the focal point. So we wanted Elijah to be the main focus and by accomplishing this we shot Elijah in black and white. Lastly, the photo shoot of Elijah Mensch took about a half hour and using my lighting equipment and Stratta ii triggers along with my flash units we accomplished beautiful lighting inside Erica’s house.

Scanning through some websites and came across this article. well written. Great article from Wedding Photographer Natalie Norton. You can check out more from Natalie at natalienortonphoto.com.

1. Light Right:

If you haven’t already mastered lighting and proper exposure, I REALLY, TRULY recommend shooting in Aperture Priority. If you struggle with Aperture Priority, well you’ve just got to shoot in plain oldAutomatic. And hey, that ain’t always such a bad thing if I do say so myself. The bottom line is that you just cannot afford the chance of improper exposures when the dude (or nowadays the chick) says “you may kiss the bride.”

2. Under Promise, Over Deliver:

If you’re going make this work, particularly if this is your very first wedding, you’ve got to set yourself up for success by managing expectations. You recall the adage, “you get what you pay for?” Well friend, that doesn’t really hold true for brides. They generally expect to get what they want. Period. I’m not knocking brides. It’s their WEDDING DAY for Pete’s sake. They should get what they want on this great day of days. But you can’t assume that just because you’re shooting for next to nothing (or in fact nothing) that there won’t be high expectations for you and your work. Under promise, over deliver. You’ve got to set clear expectations that you know beyond a doubt in the Heavens you’ll be able to achieve. If for example you really believe that you will be able to deliver 100 knock out images for each hour of shooting, promise only 50. That way when you show up with 75 awesome images from each hour you shot they’ll be ecstatic!

3. Don’t Go it Alone:

Get an assistant to come shoot with you. Two cameras are always better than one. Particularly if you’re not all that familiar with yours. It’s VERY important to have a back up to make sure you’ve got two chances at each key shot.

4. Request an Infiltrator:

Have the bride/groom assign someone to you to be sure you get shots of all the key players. Its important that you document all the key attendees, especially if you’re familiar enough with the family that you should (but don’t) know them all by name. If every time your bff talks about her favorite Aunt Bessie you’re only half listening and don’t have a clue who she is, you better be sure you’ve got someone there to point her out so you can grab that shot of her wiping her eyes during the ceremony.

5. Click, Click, CLICK:

Take pictures until your trigger finger bleeds. If you’re not totally sure, check that LCD and try, try again. You’ve got to nail it. You only get one chance at this. There isn’t going to be a do-over. Shoot and shoot and then shoot some more. In this new digital age, particularly as of late when storage space is so cheap on memory cards, you really don’t have a single reason I can think of NOT to shoot like a bat out’a hell.

6. Tell the Story:

There are a handful of shots you’ll need to be sure to include. Clearly you’ll need to cover the ceremony in it’s entirety. ie rings, smooch, tears, cake cutting, bouquet toss etc. Beyond that, be sure to get a good establishing shot of the venue, some good detail shots of all the stuff she spent WAY too much money on to decorate said venue, some good detail shots of her dress (don’t forget the shoes . . . oh and the rings!!), bride and groom with their groupies, a zillion pics of the bride alone and with her man, and then any and everything else you can possibly think of.

7. Know Where to Go:

Check out your venue before hand. Make sure that you know EXACTLY where it is, even where you’re to park. It would not be a happy day for you to come out from your pro bono wedding only to have to fork out $200 to get your car off the impound lot. It’s also a helpful rule of thumb to know what you’re getting yourself into for a shoot. Try to visit during the same time of day the wedding will be held. Check out the lighting situation. Ask about the seating and be sure you’re going to be able to photograph from the proper angles without obstructing the guest’s view.

8. Get the 411:

Talk to the individual who will be performing the ceremony. There may be rules about photographing in a certain cathedral or religious reasons you can’t photograph certain parts of the ceremony. It’s your responsibility as the photographer to make sure that these concerns are addressed with the Priest etc before you show up on the wedding day.

9. Cover Your Bases:

It just may be a good idea to have a contract. I know it seems like an awful formality, particularly between friends. It’s a wise step however to solidify expectations (an extension of what we discussed earlier about managing expectations) in order to preserve the relationship. You really love this friend of yours, as evidenced by your willingness to shoot his/her wedding, protect that relationship by insisting on a contract.

10. Go for it!

You’ve made the commitment already, now jump in with both feet. Don’t let your fear and anxiety plug up your creativity. You’re going to be great!